Northland photographer Jaymin McGuire recently ventured to the South Island and spotted the gleaming 2019 Kenworth K200 driven by Kerry Taylor.

Kerry, who works for Martinborough Transport, shared his journey into the trucking world, which started with his father. “What kicked it all off was the old man going for rides; eventually, he got me a job at his work,” Kerry says.

On that day, Kerry was en route to Silver Fern Farms Ashburton, one of the many destinations he covers for his stock transport work. Kerry reckons the best part about driving is that he’s a “paid tourist”.

“You could be in the North Island one day and at the bottom of the South the next,” he says, appreciating the unique opportunities his job provides.

Kerry’s pride in his truck is evident. “The K200 is definitely my favourite. It’s been my dream truck since I was a little boy – just the KW brand in general, really.” The K200 is fitted with the venerable Cummins X-15 and 18-speed Roadranger combo.

Despite his passion for trucking, Kerry acknowledges the industry’s challenges. “From a stock truck driver’s view, there are bugger-all stock effluent dumps around the country. It’s really frustrating because we have no place to dump out effluent,” he explains.

If he were Transport Minister, Kerry knows what he’d prioritise: “Build more effluent dumps, especially along state highways. And more supervision and training for drivers obtaining their HT across all classes for drivers unfamiliar with New Zealand roads.”

When asked about his preference between wine, beer, or whiskey, Kerry’s answer is decisive: “Definitely, whiskey.”